Transmission Films has announced that Cate Shortland’s magnificent new film LORE, has been selected as the Australian entry for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Academy Awards®, to be announced early 2013.

LORE, which has its North American premiere on Monday at the Toronto International Film Festival, was also in competition at the Sydney Film Festival and recently won the Audience Award at the 2012 Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

Set in the closing days of World War II, the film tells the story of Lore, who, after her Nazi parents are imprisoned, leads her younger siblings across a war-torn Germany in 1945. Amidst the chaos, she encounters the mysterious refugee Thomas, who shatters her fragile reality with hatred and desire. To live, she must trust someone she was taught to hate and face the darkness within herself.

To be eligible for consideration for the Best Foreign Language Film Award, a film must have been released in its country of origin for at least seven days and is defined by predominantly non-English dialogue. Each country can submit one film for nomination consideration. Samson & Delilah was Australia’s official entry in 2010.

LORE is an official German-Australian co-production by Roh Film, Porchlight Films and Edge City Films. Producers are Karsten Stöter, Liz Watts, Paul Welsh and Benny Drechsel. Writers are Cate Shortland and Robin Mukherjee. Director is Cate Shortland.

LORE was financed by Screen Australia, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, HessenInvest Film, Filmförderungsanstalt, Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg and Deutscher Filmförderfonds, in association with Screen NSW and Creative Scotland. The film was developed by Screen Australia and Creative Scotland. LORE is being represented internationally by Memento Films, and its US Distributor is Music Box Films.

The 85th Academy Award® nominations will be announced on 15 January 2013, with the awards presented on 24 February.